The shaking of the ground and falling into a place unknown had put Valesseka back into the mindset she had long ago, trudging from the Sea of Rhun on her first adventure away from her peaceful little home. She was lost with a stranger she was not sure she could depend on in a place unknown to her, and the most important thing between the two of them would be Valesseka's survival. Of this the fair farmer's daughter was sure.

Valesseka made a quick scan of the hall open to them now and nudged Jenifred, whispering "Theres a door, and I'm not sure but..."

"There on the wall are some bronze keys... maybe it's the way out." Jen added

"I simply can't climb out of here" She bit her lip. I'm wearing a skirt! Jenifred ignored the Arnorian's whining and made haste for the key ring and lock it apparently matched. The older girl scrambling after her, "Maybe Eomeleo is in there... Or the villains and I should be quiet."

Jen turned the key and handle.

The door creaked open as it had for each tiny meal, for each beating and interrogation, but this time the doorway was filled with a shimering light, the figures appearing distorted and thin with it's intensity to the eyes of the long dark dwelling prisoner.

"Morning" the guard grumbled. He had brought a bag with him and dropped it on the ground.

"Good to see you" gasped Miko. "I must say, it's a fine relief to have you here, a relief fine as water on a parched tongue which, incidentally, I just might have need of, well, in good time I should think; not that you yourself would deny me some water, though that other fellow might, nastier sort he is, eastern probably, and where-"

"Stop it!" the guard rather whined, in a feeble manner. "I'm having a bad day and I don't need your gibbering!"

"He looks fine to me" said the guard, frowning at Éomeléo, who was watching proceedings eagerly.

"No, no, not that big chap, I refer to one of the others."

The guard nodded acknowledgement and peered over to the far side of the room. There was but a small flicker of light from the corridor, and Éomeléo had never seen the whole of his cell. "There's been a rat... gnawing all morning." Miko bared his teeth in an uncomfortable grimace.

The guard sighed, and departed, locking the door behind him. Back in the darkness, Éomeléo whispered to Miko: "Good job! Keep it up, and remember the most important part. And unless you have something very important to say right now, hush up!"

Now two guards came to the room, and the one who had seen them a few moments ago creeped through the room, past Miko, a candle in hand. The other guard peered after him. The hidden depths of the cell appeared before Éomeléo for the first time, and then came the critical moment.

"Aaaaaargh!!!!" screamed Miko, with a voice that was near enough to shattering the cell walls. The guard dropped the candle; Éomeléo leapt up with all the speed of a crebain straight out of Dunland, and hurled himself at the legs of the other guard, who had jumped and faced the vanishing light. There was a definite crack, as a bone in his leg broke. Éomeléo, with the fury of the captive he was, sent his foe into the unconscious realm with a fist to the nose.

The Gondorian leapt up, his eyes well-adjusted to the darkness. He found his remaining enemy and bellowed "Now Miko!" With great heroism, as Éomeléo began his run, Miko dived at the legs of the guard. He took a hefty punch in the back and yelped in pain, but then Éomeléo almost decapitated the guard with a flying elbow to the face. There was a horrible thud as the two bodies crashed onto the floor, but Éomeléo had landed on top of the wretched prison guard and was unhurt. He grabbed Miko, hauled him to his feet, and hurried through the doorway.

Thin-Gloomy was fervently looking for a way out when he heard footsteps from the corridor. They went away though, and a door somewhere rather far away was opened. Danger over? Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath and continued examining the walls. More footsteps and two voices. Female voices. Neither of them was the shrill-voiced cow, and she didn't come down here anyway. Thin-Gloomy had never known a woman to come here before.

Before he could think more, a key turned in the lock. He stepped forwards, his fists ready. He could beat two women, he knew, and then he could escape.

The light was stronger than he remembered. He had to shelter his eyes. "What is this?" he asked angrily, realising the women had an advantage over him after all.

~*~

Jenfried

"What is this?" asked an unfriendly voice.
"Not your boyfriend," Jen concluded to Valesseka and was about to close the door.
"Wait!" Valesseka said.
"You think they've turned you boyfriend into a grumpy little goblin?" Jen asked.
"I am a dwarf, no goblin. Say that again and I'll beat you, kid," the grumpy voice interfered and its owner stepped to the light properly. It was a small, thin dwarf with a long and sparse black beard. He was sheltering his eyes with his hand. "Who are you and what are you doing in my prison cell?"
"I'm Valesseka from Arnor. And this is Jen, a bandit."
"A bandit you say? Come little closer, kid, and I'll kill you. Your friends have treated me badly. But Valesseka... what does that name remind me of?"
"Who are you, you insulting smelly creature? I have no idea why we're wasting time with you," Jen said angrily. "Come, Valesseka, let's go."
"No! I think he might be..."
"My name is Thin-Gloomy, and I am a most venerable Dwarf."
"Oh..." said Valesseka. "We've come to rescue you. But we have lost Eomeleo, and we should rescue him too."
"I know you, you are the mousey girl from the race. Glad to see you again." There was darkness and sarcasm in Thin-Gloomy's voice. "Well, thank you anyway, girls, for rescuing me. Now let's go and find the guy you've lot. And then we gewt out of here. I do have some thingsa to be settled, though."

The three entered the corridor. It was dark and no one was moving there. "Which way did you come?" Thin-Gloomy asked.
"The roof," Jen said.
The dwarf laughed. The echo sent shivers down Jen's spine. The laugh was too hollow.
"No going back that way, is there?" the dwarf asked. "Let's go this way, then."
They started walking, but there was afear upon them, so they broke into a run.

That was why they literally bumped into Éomeleo and Miko at a doorway.

Valesseka gasps as she fell right into the hands of another human, she could tell by the noise that Thin-gloomy and Jen had done the same to another one just to her side. Looking up she found a beauti-- Who is that?! The Arnorian jumped back, snorting as if it were Miko who ran and grabbed onto her. Now she could see the pair of them- Eomeleo! With.. with Jenifred on him!

"Well! Hello, whats your names? I'm Mik--"

"We'll have introductions later, Miko! Right now we've got to run, hurry, this way!" Eomeleo said, pushing Jenifred and Thin-gloomy off of him and lead the way toward the exit.

"-O."

All four nodded and persued him, chased by the sounds of their footfalls. Valesseka was too distracted in her glaring daggers into Jenifred again to recall exactly where it was they were going, only that it was out and she was going to make sure to stick closer to Eomeleo than Jen was! She's trying to take him from me! Falling all over him like that! Like she had the choice...

There it was in front of them, the sliver of daylight peaking around a bend in the cave walls. The mouth of the cave was in sight, but in ear shot came a new pair of voices. A woman, barking out commands to another who discurtisely spat back curses at her. From the sound of it one was about to leave in order to get more supplies for their camp.

"What do we do now?" Jenifred asked in a whisper. Thin-gloomy's little eyes were dark in what little light they had now to see them, though it was a great deal more than the dwarf was used to.

Hushed, from the back of the party, "I'm Miko, and it's so good to meet you, I suppose you know this chap here? Isn't that wonderful! I just know your friendship to one another must be stellar, yes, stellar."

"Quiet, Miko" Eomeleo hushed him and heaved a soft sigh.

"Why don't you start a fire in the forest to distract them." quibbled the Arnorian, unnessecarily brooding. The two men and Thin-gloomy, who had not be present for the previous conversation, turned to the both of the girls confused looks.

"What's that?" growled the voice, and Éomeléo grumbled at his allies. They were all so... talkative. And now they had an angry, gruff woman, most likely with rolling-pin in hand ready to bash them, about to enter the fray.

And then a strange feeling washed over the Gondorian, and he felt his inner being complemented by an additional force, and he spoke though not with his own voice -- with a voice that came from far away: "Fly, you fools!" And they flew indeed.

But before them appeared a man, short and filthy, with a mean sneer on his ugly face, and he held a small axe. "Right!" shouted Jen, dashing off to the side. Valesseka followed with Thin-Gloomy; Éomeléo dragging Miko along with him. The party bundled through a dark path, covered in bugs and dirt. Miko was horrified. He kept muttering "Oh, I say..." over and over.

The corridor ended with a door. "Well" said Valesseka, "there'd better be something good in here". Jen opened and entered, and everyone smiled. The room was small and dank and empty of people; but it had a few boxes, some cloaks and other clothes, and leaning against the wall a very welcome collection of weapons.

While the others rushed to have a look at the swords, he headed for the knives. There was a familiar shape among them. "My beloved Thistle-cleaver!" he shouted, picking up his old knife. He kissed it and put it on his belt. Next, he headed for the missiles. He could see his old crossbow, but beside it there was a slightly heavier one with carefully crafted bolts. He picked it and left his own bow behind. He felt more certain now, the bow in his hand. Éomeleo hastened to his side. He had a sword in his hand and he picked another crossbow, visibly satisfied with the situation.

"Are we ready now?" Thin-Gloomy growled.
Éomeleo nodded. "I am."
They turned to see the others. Valesseka had replaced her staff with a proper one and equipped herself with a dagger, Jen had picked a small sword and added a few knives to her collection and Miko was holding a sword with a curved blade and emeralds in the hilt.
"Can you use that?" Éomeleo asked him.
"No time for nonsense like that!" Thin-Gloomy grunted and headed out of the door, Jen at his heels. The others followed, Miko babbling about his new beautiful sword.

"We are now going to the so called 'throne-room' to kill the bandits, if I've understood correctly, we can also get out of this place that way," Thin-Gloomy announced.
"How many?" Jen asked, trying to keep her tone cool and professional.
"Five, although with good luck, two of them...”
“Look out!” Valesseka interrupted in an urgent whisper.
The adventurers fell dead silent.

There were two men coming along the corridor. One of them had a torch in one hand and a wooden club in the other, the other had two knives that glittered in the light. They had not seen the escaped prisoners who stood in the shadows.

“I’m sure there were noises here,” the man with the torch said.
“Nonsense, Thomas,” the smaller man sneered. “Who would make any noise down here?”

They both stopped and fell silent. Thin-Gloomy had let out a hiss of vehement hate – these two were the ones who had beaten him so many times, who had ridiculed him. In one smooth movement, he loaded his bow and let the bolt fly. With a terrifying scream, the knife-man fell onto the dungeon-floor. The bigger man dropped the torch and ran. Éomeleo released his bolt and the man yelled in pain, but they could hear him keeping running.

“Onwards!” Miko screamed, raising his sword to the air.
Before anybody could stop him, Jen let out her war cry too and they dashed to the darkness. The others had no choice but to follow. Thin-Gloomy came last for he stopped to pick up the dead man’s knives. “No point leaving good weapons laying on the floor,” he murmured as he took them.

When Éomeleo, Valesseka and Thin-Gloomy were at the end of the corridor, a horrified Miko ran into them. “There are bandits! Four of them! And they have weapons!”
“And you left the girl alone to fight them?” Thin-Gloomy asked, outraged.
Miko made no reply.
Éomeleo and Valesseka exchanged glances and ran past Miko.
Thin-Gloomy followed them suit, but he gripped Miko’s sleeve as he went. “You come too, coward!”

As they entered the hall, they saw Jen fighting two people, a blond man and a dark-haired woman. Both of them were swinging their blades in a deadly manner and Jen had to fight to parry their blows. Her side was bleeding and her face was white with effort.

A third bandit was lying on the floor near the entrance, holding his side and moaning. His fingers were red with blood. The torch man was standing further away, hastily draping bandage around his left arm.

With one effortless swing, Éomeleo finished the moaning man. Then he shouted to the two swordsmen, trying to catch their attention. With Valesseka by his side, he advanced on them. Thin-Gloomy reloaded his bow, aimed at the man who was trying to bind his wounds and let go. The man fell to the floor and gurgled. “Go kill him with your pretty sword,” the dwarf snarled to Miko. The man obeyed, eyes huge with terror.

Meanwhile, the swordsmen realised they would have to face Éomeleo’s sword and Valesseka’s staff. The man shifted his focus immediately, apparently thinking the already wounded girl could do nothing. He swung his blade and it met Éomeleo’s with a loud clang. The woman was not as straightforward, she attacked Jen one last time. The girl could not parry quickly enough and fell to the floor. She lay there unmoving.

Blow, parry, blow, parry. Éomeleo and his foe did not seem to hit each other. The woman was trying to attack Éomeleo too, but Valesseka was keeping her away by distracting her with her staff.

Thin-Gloomy reloaded and aimed at the woman. He hated her, the shrill-voiced cow. She deserved to die. His hands were shaking hatred and the bolt went amiss. It flew just an inch past Valesseka’s face. Cursing, Thin-Gloomy reloaded. This time she hit the woman on the chest. With a horrible scream, she fell.

Fury and fear flashed in the swordsman’s eyes. He swung his blade at Éomeleo, who ducked just in time, and turned to run. However, Valesseka blocked his way with her lowered staff and he tripped over it. Éomeleo pushed his sword through the fallen foe.

In the sudden silence they could hear someone sobbing. Miko had thrown his adorned blade on the floor and sat by the body of the big man, covering his face. “I killed him,” he whispered, horror in his voice.

“There’s no time for idle snivelling,” Thin-Gloomy said brusquely. “They have friends who could come here at any moment.”
“What about Jen?” Valesseka asked. She was kneeling by the girl’s side. “She’s breathing.”
“We can’t leave her here... that would be brutal,” Éomeleo said simply.

Thin-Gloomy nodded hesitantly. The humans were right. “Alright then. You lad, carry her. You lass, help that idiot, we can’t leave him here either.” Valesseka had the sense not to protest, although she gritted her teeth when she saw Jen on Éomeleo’s arms.

She yanked Miko up. “Come on,” she said, not totally unfriendlily. The man leaned to her, still sobbing and wailing.

“And what are you doing, master dwarf?” Éomeleo asked.
“I’m leading the way. And I’m shooting in case we see enemies,” Thin-Gloomy replied grimly, fingering his bow.

He kept his word. It did not take long for him to find the entrance and the weary travelers stumbled out of the bandit-lair.

Night had fallen while they had been in the dungeons. There was a cold wind and the moving clouds revealed a rising full moon. Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath. Suddenly, he smiled. He was free at last.

Éomeléo laughed as the cold air washed over him. It was beautiful, and the dinginess of his prior lodgings had not agreed with his airwaves. Miko wished to run as far as his breath would allow him but Éomeléo calmed him down; there would be no need for such panic. They had some fighters about them, with grim weapons in their hands.

He walked over to Valesseka, adjusting his feathered hat as he moved (he had found it in the weapon-room, much to his delight). Valesseka smiled at the silly gesture, then Éomeléo grabbed and kissed her. He half-expected her to be mad with him, but he was sure he saw happiness in her eyes as they parted.

Of course, because the two of them are never allowed a fine moment, an almighty clatter occured from the doorway. They turned around and braced themselves.

Out hobbled an odd-looking man. He was quite old with lank, greying hair, and he clutched a satchel. He stared at the party for a moment, then ambled closer. Éomeléo looked on in curiosity as the man stopped a few paces from him, dropped the bag, and reached awkwardly for his boot. He then disconnected what was, apparently, a wooden leg. Hardly balancing on his good limb, the man scraped around in the leg and took out a big, handsome jewel. He tossed it at Éomeléo and, without a word, put his leg back on and went on his way with the satchel.

Miko looked vindicated. "See? That would be one of the fellows who wouldn't say anything. Granted he's unusual to encounter, but not suitable for the dark. Oh if only he could have shared some stories with-"

"Indeed Miko" the Gondorian interjected. He stooped to pick up the treasure and wondered what the odd man had been through. It was green and looked specially precious. "A reward for a rescue?" Éomeléo flashed a congratulatory smile to his friends.

"I shall be very glad to be rid of this place" grumbled Miko.

"But where will you go?"

"Oh" chuckled Miko, demonstrating a new, and unsurprisingly, annoying habit of switching rapidly between moods, "there are all manners of options."

"Quite Miko, for I have no doubt that your part in the story of this Middle-earth will grow greater." Éomeléo cast a cursory glance back at the villains' lair, and then looked again upon fair Valesseka: a far more pleasing sight.

Her face flushed after the kiss, Valesseka found it necessary to keep her squealling at bay by putting her fingers delicately to her lip as the one thought that she had most hoped to ensure flooded her mind and nearly spilling out of her mouth: He still likes me more than Jen!!

She sighed out a soft "My darling" and as if on a cloud she drifted toward his arm, half aware of the gemstone being thrown at Eomeleo or really much else... that is until he turned toward her an smiled which was when the world seemed to melt away completely for a few sweet moments.

The sun was slowly creeping just on the horizon, the party had to move in their own directions or as one. It was the slightly less gloomy Thin-gloomy who made this clear first, and with a little bounce in his step lead on his own way.

The Arnorian looked at those surrounding her, pausing as her glance fell on Jenifred. She was alone, and from what Valesseka's imagination could fabricate Jen was not very good at 'it'. Thus, moved by her own misguided pity for the girl, she tugged Eomeleo over and linked arms with her, giving her most comforting - and extremely gorgeous- smile and steering the three of them toward Thin-gloomy's tracks.

"Come on, Jen... you can carry my things! We'll be back in the city in no time and we'll have you all set from there!"

"Err, excuse me?"

Perhaps she could have used a better choice of words... It didn't seem as if Jenifred saw this extremely generous offer as a gift. She's such a strange girl... "You have my permission to travel with us!" announced the fairest of the farm girls, who's authority was indeed unquestionable here.

"Valesseka..." started the weary Gondorian

"But she has no one! It would be cruel to turn her back over to her own devices. She doesn't -have- to stay with us forever, we can take her to Bree and let her have something to eat and then turn her loose on the city! Out of our hands!"

Arching her brow high, Jen waited out Valesseka's arguements to slowly die off, considering her possible travelling partners. They weren't the worst kind of group a person could travel with, but it was definitely something worth thinking about.

And after giving her offer, Valesseka let her thoughts return to her previous adventures, her fortune and finally of home. Looking up at the bobbing feather of Eomeleo's hat she smiled, knowing that in a few hours of walking she could mention her want to return home, and perhaps even persuade Eomeleo to make haste again for the North.

"But she has no one! It would be cruel to turn her back over to her own devices. She doesn't -have- to stay with us forever, we can take her to Bree and let her have something to eat and then turn her loose on the city! Out of our hands!"

Jen couldn’t help but smile at those words. They could have been taken as rude, no doubt, but there was friendliness in there as well. And never before had anyone offered to take her with them, she had always had to plead and beg to get involved in anything even vaguely interesting. She gave Valesseka and Éomeléo a reserved but radiant smile. They were too busy with each other to really notice it, though.

Still smiling, Jen turned to look around. As she moved, there was a throbbing pain at her side and she fell to her knees. She had to gasp for air.

“Take it easy, lass. Let me help you.”

Jen was surprised to hear the dwarf’s gruff voice from behind her. “Here, let me pull you up.” Thin-Gloomy’s tone was a little awkward, but he sounded determined. Jen let the dwarf help her. She could hardly stand, the pain was so intense.

“What if I die?” she whispered, eyes suddenly full of tears.

“Nah, you won’t. You’re young and healthy and that’s just a minor cut.”

Jen searched the dwarf’s eyes for a comforting lie, but she could not find one. The beady eyes were fixed on her with an almost sympathetic expression in them.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

The dwarf smiled, and his smile was a crooked one. Then he turned in the direction of Valesseka and Éomeléo. “Hey lovebirds! Slow down a little. Your little sister’s wounded.”

Jen saw Valesseka and Éomeléo flash a grin at each other. Then they paused and stood there side by side, waiting for the girl and the dwarf to catch up.

~*~
Thin-Gloomy

They had been walking all day and they were finally near the cave where Thin-Gloomy had hid his treasure. He was on the lead now.

“Be careful, those rocks are difficult to climb,” he advised, climbing up nimbly as a little goat. His back didn’t pain him today. In fact, the day seemed almost too good to be true.

He approached the cave cautiously, but there were no signs of anyone having been there before them. With the help of Éomeléo and Valesseka he moved a big rock that covered the entrance of the small cave.

“Oh Valar,” Valesseka breathed at the sight of the treasure, chest after chest full of jewels and gold.
“I had forgotten it was that enormous,” Éomeléo admitted.
“So had I,” Thin-Gloomy grinned.
“I’ve never seen that much gold,” Jenfried said.

“Neither have I,” said a shrill, cold voice.

The four turned just in time to see the bandit woman reload her small crossbow and shoot. “Sweet, sweet revenge,” she laughed as her bolt sank to Thin-Gloomy’s chest.

The dwarf realised he was falling. Vaguely, he thought he must have hit the floor. But there was nothing, nothing but the pain that penetrated everything. Deep, red and white pain. Then there was a thought, one single bright thought, brighter than the pain.

I died a rich man.

~*~

Jenfried

As soon as the dwarf fell on the rocky ground, both Jen and Éomeléo drew their swords and jumped at the woman. She was laughing hysterically and blood was dripping from the corners of her mouth.

“No use killing her. She’s as good as dead,” Éomeléo said with disgust.

The woman was leaning against the cliff, bringing her hand to her breast. Her fingers were red with blood and Jen could see the shaft of a bolt between her fingers. She recalled the woman laying on the dungeon floor, fallen by Thin-Gloomy’s crossbow. Oh Thin-Gloomy, had your hit killed her a little sooner…

“Ugly business,” said Valesseka as the three turned their backs to the dying bandit.

“I only pity poor old Thin-Gloomy,” Éomeléo said sadly.

Jen knelt by the dead dwarf’s side. Gently, she brought his hands to his chest and closed his eyes. Then she let her eyes travel from him to the rogue woman, and eventually to the huge pile of treasure chests.

“Guess what, friends…” she said in a weak voice.

“What is it?” Valesseka asked. Éomeléo looked equally baffled.

Jen let a smile creep to her face. “We’re bloody richest people in Middle-Earth.”